lil Spencer
by robustketchup55555
Summary: Eliot Spencer. Acknowledged hitter, the enemy of many. "Side job? What side job?" Parker asks. "My daughter. It's actually a full-time job, believe it or not."
1. Murderous looks run in the family

_I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 1- Murderous looks run in the family.**

Elix watches as the man enters her apartment. Ok, it's her dad's apartment, but, same thing. Her dad, _the_ Eliot Spencer. The man holds up a gun.

" _Ok, Elix. He's too far away to take the gun. You're gonna have to get him closer."_ That little voice in her head talks to her again. It's like her dad lives inside her head.

"He's starting to rub off on you." Elix mutters to herself.

"I said hands up!" The man shouts, wondering why an 8 year old is assessing him with a murderous look in her eyes. A murderous look this man has only ever seen in the eyes of one person. Eliot Spencer.

" _Comply, but be hesitant and don't let him dominate. This is your house."_ Elix slowly raises her hands.

"Shut up!" She whisper-hisses to herself. The man looks at her for a second before throwing her a burner phone.

"You shut up and call your dad." He instructs. Elix glares at him, but complies, like the voice in her head suggests.

"Ok, ok...How do you use this phone?" Elix grimaces in distaste at the phone that looks like it time traveled to the future. It's just the distraction she needs to throw the phone at him and slip into the hallway. She turns back for a split second, but breaks into a dash, hearing 9mm bullets pierce the walls as she jumps down the stairs a flight at a time.

Elix pulls out her phone as she runs. She presses the number on speed dial. The only number, her only help in a situation. It rings, not a connection yet.

" _This is your house. Your home. And you run."_ The little voice just doesn't know when to shut up. Elix glances down at the phone. Still no connection. Still no guidance for the situation. Still nobody to tell her not to go back. Elix shoves the phone, still trying to reach a connection, in her back pocket. She looks up at the tall door at the entrance to the apartment complex.

" _Be alert. There's trouble behind that door."_

"That's never stopped me before." Elix mutters, shoving open the door to find a gun pointed at her face. She hears the quiet click of her phone finally having established a connection.

* * *

Eliot picks up his phone with a murderous look in his eyes. Looking at the caller id, the look intensifies.

"Parker! Quiet! I'm on the phone," Eliot shouts, siding with Hardison on the argument and picking up the call.

"I already told you once." The gritty voice refrains from shouting in frustration. "Put your hands up. AND LEARN HOW TO USE A FLIP PHONE!" The voice shouts, and Eliot hears the click of a gun being reloaded with another clip of ammunition. "Now call your dad and tell him I want $100,000,000. Tonight."

Eliot's heart drops into his stomach as his sinking suspicion is confirmed.

"His line's busy." Comes the scared but steady voice of his 8 year old daughter, Elix.

"Too bad for you then." Eliot hears the very distinctive bang of the 9mm pistol firing. Eliot hears the very distinctive thud of a 9mm bullet hitting a target. Eliot hears the very distinctive string of curses only his daughter would manage to know at the vulnerable age of only 8 years.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Homeschooler under a magnifying glass

_I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 2- Homeschooler under a magnifying glass.**

Eliot barges into the lobby, eyes searching angrily for someone to punch, someone to blame. Except he sees nobody, nobody to blame. He jogs up the stairs quietly, not wanting the wait nor the entrance that comes with taking the elevator. Surprisingly, the door to his apartment is locked. Both locks locked, to be exact. After Eliot opens the door, he finds an assortment of his own furniture shoved up against the door, to further prevent him from entering his own home.

"Hey, Elix, it's me. Can you move the furniture?" He shouts into the crack of the door he managed to open. Eliot hears a shuffling noise as Elix walks to the furniture and begins to push it aside.

When she finishes, she pulls the door open, and Eliot takes the sight in. She wasn't shot anywhere fatal, but Eliot sees her poor attempts at trying to dress a bullet graze on her right arm.

* * *

"Ok. When dressing a bullet-" Elix giggles. "What?" Eliot asks, faking anger. "We're homeschooling. I teach you, and you learn."

"You're teaching me how to dress a bullet wound." Elix stifles a giggle.

"So? This is why I don't send you to a regular school. They won't teach you anything useful like this, and this is a hands-on learning experience. You have your choices. Be homeschooled, or go to the hospital," Eliot jokes, and Elix lets him resume the lesson. "First you clean it out." Eliot demonstrates. "Then using the stitching method I taught you last month, you put this side to this side, and...done." Elix examines the tightly stitched graze.

"That's not the real reason you keep me out of a regular school." Elix says quietly.

"And that's not what you need to worry about." Is all Eliot can mutter.

He can see it. Word gets out Eliot Spencer has a child, let alone a daughter. At a school. They'd somehow get onto the pickup list and it would be just like his-

"Do wanna come to work with me tomorrow?" Eliot asks.

"Your work? The stuff you never tell me about?"

"Well, the planning for that work anyway. You can meet my friends."

Elix nods in consent.

* * *

Eliot leads Elix into the elevator. He sent Hardison a quick text briefly explaining things, but Parker's completely in the dark on this 'daughter business'.

"So, what do your friends do?" Elix, always curious, asks.

"Hardison's first name is Alec, but everybody calls him Hardison. And that's Mr. Hardison for you. He can do anything on the internet, and block other people from doing the same thing." Eliot tries to simplify things for his 8 year old.

"What about Ms. Parker?" Elix asks.

"She can open any lock, with or without a key." Eliot begins.

"Dad, anybody can open a lock with a key." Elix jokingly chides.

"What if it wasn't the key meant for the lock?" Eliot rhetorically asks. "And she can lock stuff up so tight nobody but her can get it opened again."

"What about your other friends?" Elix asks, recalling the old stories.

"The Fords stopped working with us after Nate proposed. Sometimes they call us, but they're distancing themselves."

" _And for good reasons. I can't even keep my own daughter safe, let alone a whole crew."_ His mind adds.

The elevator opens with a ding, and Eliot leads Elix into the debriefing room. Parker immediately notices the presence of the 8 year old.

"Who's this?" She demands to know, not in a mean way, but in her own Parkerish way.

"This is my daughter, Elix. Elix, that Ms. Parker and Mr. Hardison." Elix nods as Eliot introduces them.

"Can I teach her how to pick locks?" Parker whispers to Hardison, but Hardison shakes his head in a negative.

"Eliot, I need you to review the shift duty for Melanchon Inc. It just doesn't look like what you described." Hardison explains, looking up from his tablet.

"Gotcha. Elix, you can stay here with Parker, ok?" Eliot asks, and Elix nods again. "No locks!" Eliot whispers to Parker.

* * *

"So, E, you said there were only 4 posts, right?" Hardison asks.

"Yeah, there are only 4." Eliot responds firmly.

"Well, you weren't wearing your glasses, or Melanchon decided to up the security." Hardison hands him the tablet with the live feeds from the hacked CCTV. Eliot sees the 8 posts now stationed.

"That might complicate the plan." Eliot says, and Hardison nods in agreement.

* * *

Eliot walks back into the debriefing room to find Parker braiding Elix's hair into 2 small, neat braids.

"Parker, the plans changed. I'm gonna need a few extra hours before you come in, then Hardison can do the job." Eliot reports, and Parker nods, still braiding Elix's hair. "I'm gonna need to take a trip in a few days." Eliot says. He and Hardison are watching Parker and Elix from awhile off. "I usually have the neighbor take care of Elix, but after the, you know." Hardison nods. "Could you and Parker-" Eliot isn't allowed to finish his sentence.

"Excuse me, Mr. I have to take a trip and your schedule doesn't matter to me, Parker and I are not babysitters for hire. Myself, I am a renowned hacker, and Parker is the infamous insanity behind some of the world's most important thefts." Hardison is about to go on but Eliot stops him before he goes on for hours.

"And you 2 might be the only people I trust with my daughter right now." Eliot says, but Hardison barely pays attention.

"I'm sorry, do I look like I know anything about kids?" Hardison voice rises an octave.

"Elix is pretty smart. And what you don't know you can look up on the internet." Eliot responds, confident. "Plus, Parker looks like she's getting along." Eliot points out.

"Parker is insane. One day she'll be normal, the next, absolutely crazy!" Hardison shouts, but not loud enough to draw attention to their conversation.

"You owe me. Remember?" Eliot asks.

"I don't-what do I owe you?" Hardison asks.

"You ate my sandwich." Eliot growls, still bitter.

"That's what I owe you for." Hardison rolls his eyes.

* * *

"So, why isn't she at school?" Parker asks, when Hardison decided to help Elix with some especially techy stuff suited to the geek.

"She is, Parker. I homeschool her." Eliot explains.

"What's homeschooling?" Parker asks.

"It's means I teach her what she needs to know, like math, writing, martial arts, first aid, and at least 10 different languages." Eliot says.

"I'm pretty sure they don't teach that in regular schools." Parker says. "And it's not the only reason you keep her out of those schools." Parker speculates.

"If people found out I had a daughter, and she was out in the open, at a school-" Eliot starts.

"That's not the true reason." Parker notices.

"Elix's mom, she, passed in an accident. An accident I could've prevented, had I been more careful. I just can't be too careful with her. I don't want more accidents." Eliot says, leaving no room for discussion.

* * *

"Elix, I'm going for 2 days. I'll leave tomorrow morning, and be back the day after, probably late at night." Eliot explains.

"I don't want you to gooooooooooooooooooooooo," Elix whines.

"Hey. What did I say about whining?" Eliot asks.

"Don't do it." Elix quotes from memory.

"Good. It's only 2 days, and you can hang out with Mr. Hardison and Ms. Parker. You remember them?" Eliot asks. Elix nods. "Don't let Parker teach you how to pick locks, and don't spend the whole time playing video games with Hardison. No PG-13 movies, not too much junk food,"

"Call you if I need anything." Elix finishes.

"You got it." Eliot smiles as his daughter smiles back.

* * *

Elix watches as Eliot pulls away in his truck. 2 days. She sighs silently. Or maybe not as silently as she thinks. Parker pops up beside her.

"Don't be sad, I have ice cream!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Little voices

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 3- Little voices.**

Elix watches as Parker pours cereal for them. Elix isn't really hungry.

"No thanks, Ms. Parker." Elix says.

"You need to eat," Parker says.

"I had a snack a little while ago. Plus my dad said not to eat too much junk food." She explains.

"Well, that's because your dad is a health nut." Parker retorts.

"What's it like working with him?" Elix asks.

"It's like Hardison and I have a big brother making sure we can do our jobs. One time, we did a job and Eliot couldn't be there, and it didn't go well." Parker describes the job to Elix. "There was nobody to watch our backs, and...well, that job ended about 10 minutes in." Parker sums up. "It was the first job we ever failed without Nate and Sophie." She adds quietly.

"So it's a 3 man team, not 2." Elix says.

"Yeah." Parker agrees. Out of the blue, she asks a question. "What's he like as a dad?"

"Overprotective. But he teaches me karate." Elix adds with a smile.

* * *

Hardison looks over the top of his laptop. Looking back down, he sees the time on his monitor. Now, Hardison knows he's not good with kids, but bedtime at 10:00 for an 8 year old.

"Dang." Hardison mutters to himself. "Parker!" He whisper-hisses. "Parker!"

"What what? I'm up, I'm up now." Parker shoots straight up.

"Parker, we gotta get Elix to bed." He jerks his head to Elix, who fell asleep on the couch about 2 hours ago.

"Just wake her up!"

"Without waking her up." Hardison adds.

"Fine." Parker mumbles, and stealthily snatches Elix into her arms causing as little movement as possible. Hardison watches as she walks away towards the bedroom.

* * *

" _This is your home. And you run. How can you even call yourself a Spencer? Your father would be ashamed, I need not mention your mother."_ The voice rambles on in Elix's dreams, forever replaying the home invasion over and over again.

" _I need not mention your mother. She wouldn't run, and your father never ducks out of a fight. How can someone as scared as you be the child of 2 of the fiercest fighters? How can you bring yourself to look in your father's eyes? You hid. You cowered in fear. You call yourself strong. But you are not."_

"That's not true." Elix mumbles in her sleep. The voice continues. "That's not true." Elix says again, louder. It doesn't stop. "That's not true!" She shouts.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Hardison asks Parker.

"Hear what?" Parker asks. Suddenly, Elix's growl can be heard.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

"That," Hardison mutters, already shutting his laptop.

Parker reaches Elix first, and sees that she is asleep. While her futile attempts to wake Elix up spiral downwards in vain, Hardison calls Eliot.

"Yeah, Eliot, your kid's giving us a heart attack, no she isn't misbehaving, she's screaming gibberish. No it's not another language, yeah, I'm sure it's english, I'm not stupid. No, she's not asking for anybody, she's having a shouting match with somebody, and she's still asleep. She sounds like you, um, there's no way this job can wait?" Hardison winces as Elix growls again, Parker shaking her violently to wake her up. "Yes that was her, no, she's not in any pain we know of, yeah, it probably is a nightmare, no, she won't wake up." Hardison rambles on to Eliot, passing on Eliot's suggestions to Parker.

All of a sudden, Elix sits straight up. She looks around, bats Parker's hands off her, and dives under the bed.

"Um, yeah she woke up, but, nevermind I'll call you back." Hardison swiftly hangs up, knowing Eliot can't solve this from his position. He joins Parker beside the bed.

"Elix, you need to come out." Hardison asks.

"No."

"Well you at least need to tell us what you were screaming about." Parker pleads.

"I don't scream. And what I was shouting about is none of your business, and you wouldn't understand." Elix growls menacingly from her hideout.

"Is this a Spencer thing? 'Cus we can call your dad if you want," Hardison explains.

"It is, but he can't fix this either."

"Fix what?" Parker asks.

"Nothing." Elix mumbles, having let too much information slip. "I, I can't tell you this, I can't tell my dad this. This is my problem so I have to fix it."

"But we can help fix it." Hardison says, and Parker nods.

"But you can't stop what's inside my head, that stupid voice that never shuts up, half-dedicated to keeping me safe, half-dedicated to making me regret my decisions, my life as a whole. You can't stop my inner self that knows what a pathetic example of a Spencer I am. No one can stop that." She repeats the mantra in her head, over and over. "No one can stop that." She repeats aloud, and doesn't resist this time when Parker pulls her out from under the bed.

"You're not a pathetic example of a Spencer," Parker starts. "You stopped a home invasion, and nearly gave your father a heart attack while doing so, and that's what Spencers do. They give people heart attacks." Parker explains, and Hardison only cringes twice. A new record for Parker dealing with children. "So, just keep giving people heart attacks, and you'll be a good Spencer." Parker finishes, but when Hardison looks closer at Elix, she already fell back asleep.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	4. A nightmare of reality

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 4- A nightmare of reality.**

Eliot all but bursts through the door on the cold, blistery, blustery night.

"Where is she?" He mumbles, noticing Hardison's and Parker's shocked faces from the door almost being knocked down.

"Um, glad you're back, bro, she's already asleep." Hardison explains.

"She got over it last night." Parker adds. Eliot moves to find his daughter, but Hardison stands up.

"I don't know how this got into her mind, but somehow she thinks she's pathetic, not a Spencer, unworthiness, etcetera. So, if this is a problem you want to deal with right now, go ahead, wake her up. But wouldn't it be nicer if she could get a good sleep, and deal with this later, when she's not half asleep?" Hardison says, and Eliot sits down, defeated, although the matter at hand has not slipped his mind.

"Tell. Me. Everything." He growls quietly.

* * *

Elix wakes up slowly the next morning. Then she recalls the fact that her dad is back. She leaps out of the bed and rushes into Eliot's arms.

"There's my lil E," Eliot says, putting her into the chair next to him. Elix grins. "So, Hardison told me you had some trouble the other night." Eliot casually starts.

"No." States Elix.

"No, what?" Eliot asks, confused.

"No trouble. I was good the entire time, not too much junk food, no whining." Elix says, confused as well.

"I meant trouble sleeping." Eliot says, and Elix remains quiet.

"I woke up, and then...I fell back asleep. I don't remember." Elix answers honestly.

"We're going to talk about it later then." Eliot says, and stands up to make breakfast for everybody. Hardison emerges eventually, snagging an orange soda from the fridge. Parker enters the kitchen a few minutes later, opening up a cereal box stuffed to the brim with fortune cookies. Eliot nods his head to his teammates, mouthing, "Really?" To Elix. Elix suppresses a giggle.

* * *

Eliot just finished putting the basil garnish on top of the raspberry coulis that topped the Spencers' waffles that morning when the door was knocked down, and the lives of 4 people were knocked down with it.

"Hands in the air!" Came the direct reply. Without a good look, Eliot doesn't risk it. Parker and Hardison follow suit, and Elix sits, frozen in her seat, hidden by her father's tense form.

"Alec Hardison, Parker, Eliot Spencer you are under arrest by the United States Government for robbery, invasion, intimidation, cyber theft, and anything you say can and will be used against you." The SWAT team surrounds the crew, and Elix silently drops from her chair to the floor without them noticing. She only dares peek out when she hears the many footsteps veer away from her and towards the door, to see her greatest horror. Her father unable to protect his team, his family, and the sound of defeat comes in the sound of clanging handcuffs as Eliot remains defenseless. Only as he nears the door does he seem to remember his child.

He turns his head quickly as to not be suspicious, mouthing only one word.

"Stay."

* * *

Elix was barely able to see over the counter.

"I'm here to see Eliot Spencer." She says quietly to the elderly man behind the desk.

"A little young to be in a place like this by yourself, miss," The man replies, preparing paperwork.

"My mom's outside, she divorced my dad, you know, didn't want to see him." Elix recites the prepared statement.

"Hmm." The man says politely, handing her the paperwork. "Fill these out, sign here, here, and here," He points out the spots, and Elix manages a shaky signature.

"Thank you." She says as she leaves.

* * *

Eliot almost cries of relief when he sees Elix. Even if it's on the other side of a glass wall and they have to talk into telephones, it's his daughter and she's safe. For now.

"One question. How did you get here?" He asks, knowing he probably won't like the answer.

"Well, I walked." Elix says simply.

"You walked. In a city like this. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Eliot asks.

"Do you have any idea what it's like being in a house alone, for long periods of time? While your dad works? After you see him get carted off to jail, and you know he won't be coming back this time?" Elix asks, in a surprisingly calm manner.

"No, Elix, I don't know how it feels. I need you to stay put. I'm trying to get the Fords to pick you up for awhile, but they haven't gotten back to me yet. One wrong move, and you go into foster care, and there's nothing I can do about it." Eliot says sternly, but calmly. The gravity of the situation settles on Elix, and she settles for a firm nod. That's just when the unusually perfect looking lady bursts into the room, startling the other visitors, an unusually perfect black briefcase in hand, smoothing her unusually perfect suit as she walks, her unusually perfect heels smashing against the floor with each step.

"Elix, keep you head down." Eliot whispers. The lady walks past them, but on seeing how small Elix is, she stops and rewinds a few, smashy steps.

"There you are," She says in an unusually perfect voice.

"Get away from my daughter." Eliot growls.

"Ah, where is her mother? Nobody this age should be in here unsupervised." The lady remarks.

"She's out in the car, she didn't want to see him." Elix explains again, sticking to her story.

"Nobody is out there. I watched you walk in alone." The lady says. She places a hand on Elix's shoulder. Elix shudders.

"Don't touch her!" Eliot shouts.

"I know her mother died. In fact, my brother-in-law was killed by her, and my husband killed her." The lady says quietly, and Elix squirms under her firm grasp.

"Get away from her!" Eliot shouts.

"In fact, I work for Child Protection Services, and homeless is a thing a child should never be." The lady says, and drags Elix away.

"Dad!" Elix shouts.

"Elix!" Eliot growls, smashing his hand against the strong glass. The guards restrain him, and drag him away as Elix disappears from his line of sight. There's a crack in the uncrackable glass, but Eliot doesn't even notice his accomplishment because the tears have blurred his vision.

Hardison watches as Eliot returns to the cell. He turns back to wall, which he absent-mindedly scrapes a nail across.

"So, who visited you?" Hardison asks, not turning around as he wonders why Parker hasn't rescued him yet. "Eliot?" Hardison asks, turning around this time. Eliot's slumped over on his bunk, not making a sound, a puddle of tears beneath his bowed head.

"Elix?" Hardison asks, and a small nod is the response. "CPS?" Another nods. "Man, Eliot." And Hardison sits next to him, patting his back, still wondering why Parker can't break them out already.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Release

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

10 years pass during this chapter.

 **Chapter 5- Release.**

Elix watches as the people walk by. Some people take pity on such a small person, but most don't, not even looking at her. It's hard to be homeless when you're only 8 years old, and most people shun you for running away from foster homes.

* * *

Elix heads back to her house. It's a fridge's cardboard box. It's not much, but it's a roof over her head.

* * *

Elix looks at the $20 dollar bill.

"Thank you," She chokes out, looking up at the stranger.

"Stay safe, kid, don't do drugs or anything crazy like that." The young man says, starting to walk away. "I wish there was more I could do."

Elix eats dinner that night.

* * *

Elix shivers inside the box. She pulls out her duct tape in another attempt to seal the box shut, leaving only the small hole at the end.

* * *

Elix watches the family happily swing their child into the air as they walk, remembering her own family.

* * *

Elix looks over the edge of the roof. Best view in the city. A long way to the ground. Parker would like this.

* * *

Elix watches the gangleader inspect her.

"Why would I want someone like you?" He asks darkly.

"Why wouldn't you?" Elix growls back.

"Line her up against Jameson." He scowls to another gangmember.

Elix easily beats the grown man, tossing him over her shoulder.

* * *

Elix looks over her teammate's shoulder.

"Almost in," He directs, and Elix prepares to jump onto the moving elevator. "What?!" Elix turns around, remembering what Hardison taught her.

"Hide yourself in a emergency command." She instructs.

"That'll evacuate the building." He grins evilly.

* * *

Elix tugs the man's shirt, bringing her face closer to his.

"Where is it?!" She growls, taking his gun.

* * *

Elix loads her gun, a gun she stole a while ago.

"Drop the weapons, boys," She speaks loudly, startling them.

They don't know she's never fired a gun at anyone.

* * *

Elix watches as her teammate stands over her.

"Elix, Elix, wake up!" He whispers.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaa-?" Elix looks up groggily.

"You're not dead!" He says, hugging her tightly. "We need to get out of here." He tells his girlfriend.

* * *

"We never killed anyone." Elix reminds him.

"We were in a gang." Xander states.

"We were like, 15. He corrupted us." Elix says.

"You don't have to do this job." Xander reminds her.

"No, I have to do this one." Elix says, giving her boyfriend a quick hug before boarding the train.

* * *

Eliot watches as he walks outside. He's not watching anything in particular, just watching. Hardison walks out behind him, and Parker behind Hardison.

"10 years. It's been a long time." Hardison remarks, and he and Parker both know Eliot's mind is only on one thing. A person to be more exact.

"Hardison, I need to find you a computer." Eliot growls.

* * *

"Ok, Eliot. Don't freak. Last known affiliation, a gang in the city." Hardison says slowly.

"What?!" Eliot freaks.

* * *

Elix watches as the wave rolls over the boat. Once again, she's soaked with the icy, Alaskan water.

" _This job stinks. Why'd you take it?"_ The little voice groans.

"Shut up. Whoever's in the building could be the person who sold out the team, and basically ruined my life." The 18 year old mutters to herself. One more huge wave, and the boat capsizes, throwing the little Spencer into Alaskan waters.

* * *

"Look, here's one of her friends." Parker points to Hardison's screen.

Eliot looks at the picture of the 18 year old guy. Eliot immediately hates him.

"Xander Levvons. He's here in the city." Hardison points out.

"Let's pay him a visit." Eliot says, cracking his knuckles.

* * *

Elix slowly comes to. Ocean. Water. Cold. It's all she remembers. She looks in each direction until she sees the smallest of smudges on the horizon. Kicking her legs back, she slowly heads in the general direction of what she hopes is land.

* * *

Eliot knocks down the door to Xander's apartment. Xander is standing right in front of him.

"You got a turf war or something, leave me out of it." Xander says calmly, but when Eliot swings a fist towards him, he deflects the punch on instinct. Eliot stops when he sees the picture on the shelf.

"She, is my daughter. What have you done to her?" Eliot growls.

"I didn't do anything!" Xander shouts to defend himself. "I'm her boyfriend."

"I never want to hear that word again." Eliot mutters, fainting into Parker's and Hardison's arms, who grimace sympathetically at Xander.

* * *

Elix feels a new sensation. It's different from floating and swimming aimlessly. It's, it's as if there's ground beneath her half-dead body. And when Elix's eyes snap to life, she realizes there is ground beneath her half-dead body. She looks at the small, uninhabited island somewhere near Alaska, and she wonders if she was better off in the ocean.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	6. Food for fighting

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 6- Food for fighting.**

"She left on a job." Xander offers this only as an explanation. Eliot frowns.

"No more detail?" Eliot asks.

"Too much detail could ruin the job." Xander counters.

* * *

"Alaska! I swear that's all she said!" Xander shouts, and Eliot puts his knife away.

"Where?!"

"I don't know." Xander growls.

* * *

One mark destroying the crew lives. In Alaska. Hardison and Parker mapped out a plan, giving details to Eliot on the plane.

"So, we take him down, then find Elix." Parker explains. Eliot grunts, wanting to finish this job.

* * *

Xander pokes Elix.

"Elix, wakey wakey?" Elix, groans, rolling over. Xander found her sometime after a bear attacked her in an island's dense woods, and she sports new claw marks on her face and a broken arm.

"I need to finish the job." She mumbles.

"I'm coming as your backup." Xander mutters.

"Ok. Quick is your new middle name. We are in and out, capiche?" Elix asks, and Xander nods. "Good, let's get to it."

* * *

Xander watched the elevator. Nobody was supposed to get in it, but here comes this blonde girl and a blonde guy who looks oddly familiar. Not to mention his limited hacking skills were supposed to keep the elevator from working, meaning somebody else hacked his hack.

"Elix, we have professional company." No response. "Elix?"

"One minute, stall them. A minute's all I need." Elix says quickly.

* * *

Elix wrenches open the vault. No need for lock picking sets when you have a hammer and a wrench. She's just about out with the paperwork when she sees him and he sees her.

"Dad?" She asks, knowing she's running out of time.

"Elix?" Eliot asks, seeing the paperwork he came for in her hands.

"Why are you here?" Elix asks.

"Same as you, I'm guessing." Eliot says. He sees the claw marks, and the cast on her arm. "Elix, you're running a job against the people that put the team in jail." Eliot says slowly. "This isn't your fight." He continues.

"They ruined my life, Dad." Elix chokes back, the memories flooding her as the tears flood her eyes. "Now let's go before they catch you again." She says through a watery smile, and starts back towards the elevator, paperwork in hand. Eliot sees the gunman, but too late to do anything. All he can do is drag Elix back to the elevator, back outside, back home.

* * *

Elix opens her eyes groggily, they only remain half-opened. She hears the arguing, but it's distant, and she can feel the symptoms of a concussion now.

"She was on the streets, food for fighting was a good idea at the time!" Xander shouts.

"Maybe being homeless was better than meeting you!" Eliot shouts back. Elix sits up, head spinning.

"Stop." She mutters. "You're giving me a headache." Both members of the argument immediately turn to comfort her.

"Answer his question." Xander says quietly. "Was it worse being homeless, or meeting me?" He mumbles.

"First of all," She points to Eliot. "You've never been homeless." She slurs. "Second of all," She looks down suddenly. "When did I get shot?"

At this moment, Parker and Hardison decide to enter the room, breaking any tension, and making Eliot and Xander tolerate each other for the time being. Parker and Hardison bombard her with questions, taking her mind off the pain, pain of the wound, but also pain of the past. Parker explains that she and Hardison are engaged, and that means that they don't date anybody besides each other, etcetera. Elix falls back asleep before Parker can even tell her about her big plans to rob a museum.

"Parker, she's just tired. She'd love to hear about your plans later." Eliot explains. Parker and Hardison leave.

"How can you do that?" Xander asks.

"Do what?" Eliot asks, irritated.

"Pretend like nothing ever happened? Like she's 8 again?" Xander tries to keep his voice down.

"Do you know everything about my life?" Eliot asks.

"Well, when you get off the streets because somebody wasn't careful enough, you want to confide in somebody." Xander says sarcastically.

"Who are you calling careless?" Eliot asks.

"You. You don't know, Eliot. She wanted so much to give up, ok?" Eliot nods.

"You stopped her." Eliot understands now.

"How did you know?" Xander asks, looking up.

"You take on her burden as your own. That's something I approve of." Eliot smiles. It's a small smile, but Xander smiles back.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	7. A hostage in crisis

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 7- A hostage in crisis.**

Eliot watches the man in front of him.

"I want the paperwork!" He shouts for the 10th time.

"I burnt it." Parker says again.

"Ahhhg!" The man pulls a gun, firing blindly into the crew.

Eliot stiffens as the shot hits him in the shoulder.

The man leaves.

"Wait," Eliot calls out to him. The man stops, but does not turn around. "Where's Elix?" Eliot growls.

"She's as well as she can be, I can assure you of that." The man says, walking out. The guard walks in as soon as the man leaves. He warily keeps an eye on all of them.

* * *

"Your father's friends are admirably strong in their lie." The man says, watching Elix. She watches him, but doesn't respond. "Your lack of spilling is disturbing. And to think you used to look up to me. You listened to me. You respected me. Of course, when one leads a gang, that behavior is expected. You remember Blair and Donnie, don't you?" Elix visibly flinches, but doesn't talk. "Now tell me where the paperwork is." Elix doesn't respond. The man pulls out his gun again, aiming carefully. He almost pulls the trigger when he's tackled by Xander. Elix breaks the duct tape tying her hands together and joins Xander in the fight. Xander knocks the man down.

"I think I know where your dad is," Xander says, and the 2 break into a run.

* * *

Elix watches as her dad and his crew get out, then she turns back to the fight. Xander and she work in a fluid motion, taking down all of the thugs as her dad makes an escape with his crew.

* * *

Eliot watches as his daughter and her boyfriend make the escape possible, before turning back to the situation at hand. Parker's picking the lock to a car, Hardison helping with the electronic side. It's when Eliot looks back that he sees the building explode.

* * *

Elix watches as the bomb goes off, grabbing Xander's arm, who also sees the problem. They remember Blair and Donnie, who were left behind in a burning building on a run with the gang, just before everything goes black.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	8. I'm here for you

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **About 5 years passed from the last chapter to this chapter.**

 **Chapter 8- I'm here for you.**

Elix tries to be comfortable in the hard, plastic hospital chair. It's the 3rd time he collapsed this month. The doctors try to write it off as a weak organ, some sort of malfunction, but Elix and Eliot's crew know his years of fighting and strenuous captivity are catching up with him. Elix jumps just the slightest bit when Parker and Hardison walk in. With permission from Nate, Hardison's still looking for the right moment to propose, and everyone but Parker knows it.

"Oh, hey," Elix says with a dismal tone.

"You need to sleep." Parker says blatantly.

"I know." Elix says, but makes no move to leave.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Hardison asks.

"Job." Elix says.

"He's on a job without you?" Hardison asks.

"Recon only." Elix explains.

"Look." Parker starts. "I know your dad is in the hospital and on the verge of death-"

"Parker!" Hardison shouts.

"But you need to take care of yourself. That's what Eliot wants." Parker finishes.

"He's not on the verge of death, and I take care of myself just fine." Elix grumbles.

"You look just fine," Hardison teases.

"Fine!" Elix shouts. "I'll be back in an hour.

* * *

Elix returns, looking well rested for only having left an hour ago. Xander is with her, and they settle down in the seats across from Hardison and Parker. A doctor enters the room behind them.

"It appears he's developed a fatal case of a disease I've never seen before in his lungs, which explains collapses." The doctor is about to go on but Elix stops him.

"Dr. McGaverns. With all due respect, my father was overly active in his younger years, and that explains the muscle and breathing relapses. Also, Special Ops doesn't help with this, he probably got hit a lot." Elix finishes on the verge of growling.

"I've taken that into consideration, Miss, but your father's x-rays prove my point." The doctor says.

"Show me these x-rays." Elix demands, now growling. The doctor leads her away.

* * *

Eliot wakes up before Elix gets back.

"Hey, Eliot," Parker says sadly.

"Hardison?" Eliot asks.

"You've developed a fatal case of something the doctor's don't even know about." Hardison explains, looking down.

"Where's Elix?" Eliot asks.

"Arguing with the doctors, trying to prove it's not fatal." Xander speaks up. "She doesn't want to believe it."

Eliot slips back into unconsciousness before they can tell him anything else.

Hardison pulls Parker out of the room with him.

"Parker, I know it's a really stressful time, but if we can do this right, Eliot can be there for us." Hardison says, Lowering onto one knee, and holding out a slip of paper. "Parker?" Parker takes the slip of paper. "Will you marry me?" Parker reads the paper, pulling Hardison back up.

"Of course." She hugs him, and the paper falls to the floor, face up, it's message scrawled in Hardison's handwriting.

" _Let's go steal a ring."_

* * *

While Hardison and Parker are outside, Eliot wakes up again, to find himself alone with Xander.

"Where's Hardison and Parker?" Eliot asks.

"I think Hardison just did it." Xander says, grinning.

"Finally." Eliot grins. His face turns somber again. "Xander, when I'm gone-"

"Please don't finish that sentence, Eliot. You know I'll take care of her." Xander stand up as Hardison and Parker enter the room. "I'm going to find Elix, you guys good?" Parker nods, and Xander leaves, Hardison and Parker regaling ideas about where to steal a ring to Eliot.

* * *

Xander finds Elix slumped against the wall a few corridors away from Eliot's room, where she can't be heard from the room. When she sees Xander, she wipes her face with the back of her sleeve.

"It's fatal. They don't even know what it is, they can't do anything, they're gonna run tests on him and turn him into a lab experiment, and it's fatal." She mumbles as Xander hugs her.

"How long?" Xander asks.

"A week."

"Well then, Hardison and Parker better plan that wedding cause they want Eliot to be there!" Xander says, and Elix laughs.

* * *

Eliot insisted on making the cake. Elix watched him the whole time, ready to catch him if he collapses again. But he doesn't, and Parker and Hardison's cake is better than anyone could have imagined.

* * *

It's a small wedding, but a very happy one.

* * *

Nate and Sophie's 2 year old daughter, Alexandria Grace, walks down first, throwing flower petals and charming the crowd just like her mother.

* * *

Then Nate walks Parker down the aisle, down to Hardison.

* * *

The best man, Eliot, hands them the rings, and Sophie, the maid of honor, fixes Parker's dress and holds her bouquet for her.

* * *

Elix and Xander sit in the small crowd of close friends, including Quinn, Tara, Hurley, Maggie, and even Sterling, who retired and met with Nate at least once a month, and turned out to be a very good babysitter.

* * *

And when Hardison and Parker kiss, everyone knows size doesn't matter when you're a couple of ex-con artists and publicity has to be kept low anyways.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	9. Don't leave me here

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 9- Don't leave me here.**

Parker and Hardison lean in the doorway. Elix is still there, ever since it happened…

* * *

" _Don't leave me here!" Elix pleads as Eliot slips away._

* * *

"Elix?" Parker calls out. "You want something to eat?" Parker asks.

"No." Elix says flatly.

"You gotta eat," Hardison says.

"I'm not hungry. I'll eat when I am hungry." Elix says, just like she's been saying since it happened.

* * *

 _Hardison sits there. Parker dragged Elix out to make her eat an hour ago. Eliot stirs._

" _Hardison?" He asks._

 _Hardison looks up from his computer, shutting it. "Yeah man?"_

" _I need you to get some guardian transfer papers for me." Eliot asks. Hardison looks to speak but Eliot continues. "I know Elix is over 18 and she can take care of herself, but I need to know she has a home." Eliot says, and Hardison finds the correct papers on his laptop._

" _I can get these back to you tomorrow, E." Hardison says, and Eliot looks content, slipping back to sleep._

* * *

"Elix, remember what Mrs. Tinfer said, you need to have a purpose." Parker reminds her.

"Mrs. Tinfer is hired by the government and tells everyone who loses somebody that. I have a purpose, and you don't understand it." Elix mopes.

* * *

" _You were with him when he passed?" Mrs. Tinfer asks. Elix nods. "And what were his last words?" She asks._

" _That's confidential." Elix growls._

" _I know it's hard, but I need to know. I need to give you a purpose." Mrs. Tinfer insists._

" _Yeah well he told you to go jump in a lake." Elix retorts._

" _I'm sure that's not what he said."_

" _How would you know? It's confidential." Elix snides, leaving._

* * *

"Elix." Hardison says in a warning tone.

"What?" Elix asks.

"We have a job to run. Let's go." Parker says.

* * *

"So, why are we doing this?" Elix asks into the comm as she sits in the closet in the museum.

"We need somebody on the inside, and I don't fit in that closet." Hardison explains from the comfort of his van.

"Parker fits. I still don't understand why you need me." Elix talks back as Hardison mutes Parker's comm for a minute.

"Look, Parker wants to steal this, and she wants you involved, well, to get you out and about, and also because there's armed security around the corner," Hardison rambles.

"There's armed security?! And you left it out of the briefing?!" Elix shouts. Hardison unmutes Parker's comm.

"Well, yeah, oh, no, Parker, no!" Hardison shouts as the security rounds the corner.

"I can hear them." Elix growls. "What's happening?"

"They, uh, just, uh, locked your closet," Hardison admits.

"What?!" Elix shouts.

Hardison watches as the security looks at the closet.

"Did you hear that?" One asks another.

"Yeah." He agrees.

"Should we check it?"

"No, it's the janitor's job. We're just supposed to lock up." Another puts in.

Just then, Parker's rig falls.

"I heard that!" One shouts, turning around with his gun aimed at Parker.

"No." Hardison says, fingers scrambling over his keyboard, looking for a distraction.

"Parker, I'm coming," Elix says, slamming herself against the closet door and successfully knocking it down, tumbling out into the open. Another guard shoots at Elix, galvanized. She runs as it hits her in the shoulder, attention taken off Parker for now. Parker jumps to her feet, but the guard aims his gun at her again. Elix stops.

"So, we caught a theft mid-heist." One sneers. Elix kicks one guard, and the fight starts. Parker whips out her taser, and Elix pulls a knife out of her boot. In a matter of minutes, Elix is in a headlock, and Parker is at gunpoint.

* * *

 _Elix helps Parker into her rig, but before Parker can jump, security storms the roof. Refusing to shoot a gun, Elix is caught in a headlock, and Parker's line is cut and she's standing near the edge of the roof, a gun pointed at her. But that's when Eliot storms in, and between the 2 hitters, it's easy work._

* * *

" _This is why you shouldn't do jobs alone,"_ That voice in her head chides.

"Shut up." Elix mumbles.

" _You still have that gun tucked in the back of your belt. Flip your guy over your head, pull gun, and-"_ Elix is already pointing her gun at Parker's guy before the little voice can finish.

"Drop the gun." Elix demands, the guard looking over his shoulder.

* * *

"That was too close." Hardison rants.

"It's was a slip up." Parker admits.

"You should've told me about the security." Elix adds.

"You would've never let us do the job though," Parker complains, showing Elix the priceless artwork.

" _You made it out fine. Everything he taught you, and more, you can be their hitter."_ The little voice says. Elix walks away from the others.

"It was too close." She mumbles.

" _It went ok."_

"Dad never did anything just 'ok'." Elix retorts.

" _But you'll do fine, and it'll be ok. He didn't teach you everything for nothing."_

"Ok. It's ok."

* * *

 _Elix holds his hand. She can feel his grip loosening, she can see it through her teary eyes._

" _Please don't leave me, not yet," She whispers. "Please don't leave me here."_

" _Elix." Eliot says, his grip loosening more. "It's ok."_

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	10. Live on

**Reviews:** Thank you for taking the time to input your opinions.

 _I do not own TNT, Leverage, or any of the actual characters._

 _Without any further yada yada yada.._ _._

 **Chapter 10- Live on.**

"Here he is," The doctor says, handing to newborn to his parents. "Have you decided on a name?"

Elix and Xander look down into the stormy eyes of the baby. Then, looking at Xander, Elix slowly says,

"Eliot. His name is Eliot." Xander grins.

* * *

Elix watches as Xander chases the now 2 year-old Eliot around the house.

* * *

" _It's ok." Eliot says as he slips farther and farther away._

* * *

"It's ok." Elix repeats.

 **THE END!**


End file.
